Philips Ambilight amBX division spun-off, want to get into gaming

The Philips Research team responsible for the Ambilight color-changing LED system used on several Philips HDTVs, and which recently was established as the amBX division, has separated and will be run as a single business. While Philips will still licence the technology – which synchronizes colors to emphasize the on-screen image – amBX will also market it to other companies in the hope that it becomes an industry standard. As well as color, amBX devices can also use sound, rumble, airflow and, soon, smell to augment the on-screen entertainment or gaming experience.

amBX have their sights set on consoles, home theater, music and large-scale venues such as cinemas and live music stages. They’ve also licenced the technology to a number of game developers, who could either take advantage of the color system built-into compatible TVs or promote separate hardware such as in-seat rumble packs.

To boost that, a developer kit is being produced aiming to popularize amBX’s brand of “sensory surround”. No timescale for gaming titles using the technology has been given.